Like Thunder and Lightning
by Blessed by Farore
Summary: When Sensei Wu leaves the ninja to find someone to aid them against the serpentine, Zane's sixth sense causes them to call an old friend Wu had left for them. But the ninja never expected they'd discover a destiny as cruel as they did. With Nya unlocking the element of air; not only do they have to find the green ninja, but three other elemental ninja as well.
1. Chapter 1

[Jay]

I glared at my opponent and wiped the sweat off my face as I stayed in my stance. I watched his every move, prepared for his next attack. So much rested on the outcome of this fight; my own life included. Failure was not an option. Kai's heated glare matched my own as we studied each other. Both of us looked for a weak point in the other's stance. Both of us dared the other to move with our gaze. A test of patience and I knew Kai had never lasted long.

It was sudden but Kai's blade moved, a large arch that would have easily rendered an opponent defenceless and at his mercy. Luckily, I wasn't a random enemy and, thanks to my quick reflexes and almost unnatural speed, I managed to evade the attack. Kai then threw in a low spinning heel kick, which I dodged easily. Kai then repeated sliced at me with his blade, a pretty basic movement set and easy for me to dodge with the speed he decided to engage at. I gripped my weapon tighter; he has something planned.

Kai never really planned, so a Kai with a strategy scared me…

I slowly backed up; I needed to put distance between myself and Kai. But when I got a few steps away from the deadly warrior in red, I felt something cold and wet against the back of my legs. I looked down for a mere moment, only for that sensation to shoot right up the back of my shirt. It was ice, cold and wet, the little pain made worse by the feeling of betrayal. Kai smirked and tackled me down.

I landed on the deck, Kai stood up and placed his foot on my chest as he smirked down at me. His amber eyes burned with arrogance and amusement at my defeat. Cole and Zane, who had obviously betrayed me, came to stand beside him. Cole's dark brown eyes carried an amused glint while Zane wore a slight smile, his silver eyes calm and collected as he was.

"How could you? Don't you realize what you've done? I trusted you" I groaned.

Cole rolled his eyes, "stop making this out like we're going to kill you. It's not that bad."

"Not that bad?!" I exclaimed "if you make me do this I'll have no dignity. And I may as well be dead after I find out what Nya thinks."

"Oh, I'm sure she'd agree that it suits you" Kai joked.

I groaned as my brothers laughed at my expense. They were going to make me go through with the bet, despite the fact that they all cheated on said bet. I knew why Kai was against my, he was probably still mad about me dating his sister, but Cole and Zane? Cole probably did it to get back at me for something, and managed to convince Zane to join in for the laughs. They can't seriously expect me to change my wardrobe to pink for a month. I never should've gone through with the bet, but Kai can sure be convincing when he wants to be.

 _Hell, if he wasn't so hot-headed he could probably talk Lord Garmadon into giving up on his plans…_

"What do you two have against me?" I pointed at Cole and Zane "I know the pyromaniac is still angry that I'm dating his sister, but what could you two have against me?"

Cole merely rolled his eyes at my outburst. I guess after a few years, my loud voice failed to do anything but mildly annoy him. Zane didn't give away anything either. I guess Mr Large Vocab didn't have any words to offer this time around. I groaned, I knew I couldn't intimidate them enough to get me out of this. While I was above the average height of a male, slightly taller than Zane, I had a slimmer build than my brothers. A runner's build, since I am the fastest ninja here. And even though I was fast, speed wasn't everything and I wouldn't stand a chance against all my brothers at once. Not without an army, at least.

"Why do you all want me to die a virgin?" I asked.

Cole helped me up, "it's not that we want you to die a virgin. It's just that you being the only one in a relationship gives us an extra thing to tease and embarrass you about."

"Yeah, that makes me feel so much better" I mumbled, "has anyone ever told you that you have such an amazing gift for words."

"We torment you to show our support. Be grateful that you have found some to share your heart with, Jay. Some of us may not even experience relationship in our lifetime. What you have is something worthy of being envious of" Zane responded.

"Zane, if Jay somehow managed to get a girlfriend that is actually smart and fairly attractive, so can you."

I sighed, "I love the support and confidence boosters, guys. It's touching. But Cole is right, Zane, you just have to find that right girl."

"That would not be a good idea. For one, because of my robotic nature, I'd most like terrify anyone I wished to experience love with" Zane replied, "the second is that because of my robotic nature, I'd outlive anyone who I loved and would be forced to watch them pass."

"Zane, it shouldn't matter that they won't live as long as you will. It hurts to live on when someone, even multiple people, you care deeply about die. But really, you could lose them any day. They could get sick or hurt themselves. Or maybe you'll be the one to leave them after being injured in a battle. Nothing is set in stone Zane. You have sixth sense; you should know that more than all of us that the future isn't always easy to predict. And it doesn't matter who lives longer, what matters is the memories that will live on with you" Kai stated.

"I suppose you are right. I believe it is getting late, we should head inside for dinner. Hopefully before Cole decides to cook" the white ninja smiled.

After another round of laughter, we headed inside to prepare for dinner. I looked between the two opposing elements. When I had first met Zane, I had found him a little off. He seemed distant, quiet and had only really talked to ask questions from the spinjitzu master. Cole had even told me that Zane had been that way since he first arrived here. But Sensei Wu simply told me to try and get to know Zane a little better, to see past the cool exterior I saw. It didn't take me long to realize that Zane hadn't been quiet because he wanted to be, or because he didn't like us. He just hadn't known how to interact with us. From what he told me, he had only really been used to either getting friendly greetings, or being asked to help out around the village due to his tolerance for the cold.

I had immediately went to Cole for advice, and he constructed a plan. That had been the first time I had actually relied on Cole and I think that it was that day that I started to think of him of him as a leader. We had began to get closer to Zane, as much as possible. We invited him to play video games with us, and helped him learn how to play. We included him in the small conversations we had before and after training. We even convinced Sensei Wu that we should all at least eat dinner together, if not the other meals. Zane had started to get close pretty soon and I had quickly discovered two things about him.

The first was that he had little understandings of social norms, or anything that made people normal.

The second was that he loved knowledge and had joined the ninja only to learn.

My first instinct had been to talk to Cole, and I had planned to do that. But on that day, Sensei Wu had kept me back after training. We talked for a bit, about Zane. The teacher listened to me and my concerns about my strange new associate. Afterwards, he just relaxed and told me 'iron sharpens iron and sibling sharpens sibling'. I was confused at first but the teacher had been quick to explain. Sensei Wu told me that he believe our team would become closer than friends, that what he had planned out for us could cause a kinship and a brotherly bond between us all. He explain that he had pushed me closer to Zane because, while he didn't know the specifics of my background, he knew that it had been kinder than Zane's had been. Sensei said that everyone is a reflection of their past, the good and the bad. The hardships and misfortunes had just as much effect as the sweet memories and nice moments did.

I understood the message instantly. My master had thought that I could help the odd friend I had made. And I decided I wouldn't let him down. I tried to help Zane out, though it was really difficult. The only way I could really effect him is if I tried to teach him something. So, I taught him Norwegian at first. He had been a fast learner but at least he knew I had something he wanted more of. Knowledge. So it was then that I stressed that having a sense of humor was important. He believed me, he said he had no reason not to, and I tried to help him relax a bit with a few jokes. I had thought that with his skill in learning it would only take a few weeks.

A few months after that, Sensei Wu reported that we had an intruder entering the monastery at night. It had turned out to be Kai, and our mentor really could have told us that we were his final test rather than tricking us like that. Kai had given off quite the first impression. Despite that he had only been training with Sensei Wu for a few weeks, Kai had already walked and moved with the natural grace that was only obtained after years of martial arts. That wasn't the only impression he gave off. His personality gave off one thing; that there couldn't be anyone more different from Zane than Kai. And that Kai obviously didn't like the idea of working with others. At first I didn't think there was anything that could surprise me about Kai. I was just as wrong as I had been about Zane.

I had discovered that Kai was actually pretty wise, and after we rescued his sister, he was actually cable of emotions besides angry and really angry. But there was a difference between Kai's type of wisdom and Zane's type of wisdom. Everything Zane had learned, he learned from books. He could tell you why the grass is green and how a flower grows, but he has never really laid around in the grass or taken the time to smell flowers. He could tell you anything you could read about. Kai, on the other hand, has learnt everything from experience. He can tell how to ration out food effectively, how little sleep a man can function on, what fruit and berries were poisonous and what herbs were affective at curing what. He could tell you the pain of loss in detail. It was kind of depressing that Kai knew so much and yet he hadn't really needed to pick up a book to learn those things. He'd just managed to survive.

Sensei Wu had been right. I had been the most fortunate out of all of my brothers.

I brought myself back to the present. Zane's earlier statement had been correct, it really had gotten pretty late. We probably had been distracted by the little bet. That explained why I felt ravenous when I entered the dining room. As soon as I walked into the dining room I was engulfed by an amazing aroma that made my mouth water and greeted by the sight of a set dinner table. Nya must have decided to cook for us tonight due to our late training. Nya wasn't the best chef on the Bounty, Zane and (surprisingly) Kai were both better than her, but I still loved her food and cherished every meal she prepared.

Everyone made a move to take a seat at the dinner table. I ended up beside Cole and Zane, while Kai sat across from Cole. That had left a decent spot right across from me for Nya to take. Either Kai had warmed up a little to the idea of me and Nya dating, or he hadn't noticed that seating arrangement left Nya in the perfect position to talk to me.

"Hey guys. Sorry for the lazy dinner, I just wasn't feeling in the mode for a large meal. I hope it's alright with you guys."

I looked at the door as Nya walked in with the plates. I licked my lips, the fried rice and chicken looked delicious. As the raven haired beauty served us, we all voiced our apparition for her culinary skills. My girlfriend may not have been the best when it came to the culinary arts, but she still cooked like a pro. I guess we had lived with each other for so long that we knew exactly what we all liked, and what the others found disgusting.

 _Well… all of us except Cole… Where did he even get the idea of duck chowder?_

"Hey sis, you alright?"

I returned my attention back to the present as Nya replied, "what? Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Why are you asking?"

"Because I'm your big brother who knows when you worried about something" Kai retorted, "so do you want to try that again?"

"I'm paranoid, that's all. It's strange because for a little while I've had this bad feeling" she answered.

Zane had contributed with something that shocked me, "perhaps you are wrong about being paranoid. I have had similar feelings that something is not quite right."

"What are you talking about?"

"Yeah, spill the beans."

"This can wait until after dinner. Though I believe that we may have to make a phone call to a friend of Sensei Wu" Zane started, "because I am certain that we will need the help."

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry about the lack of updates everyone. But I'm back and I'm feeling better~**

 **There weren't many changes here, but I like this a lot better than the original.**

 **Anyway, for those of you who have read the original, you all know what's going on. For those if you who are actually new to this fanfic, welcome. I'm apparently really good at fluff, if you're looking for that. I also know a lot about fighting (I do a little fighting and archery myself) so action is very much going to happen if that's up your alley. I love humor so expect a lot of that. And, for some reason, most of readers assume that I'm going to end this fanfic series with everyone dying. So if that doesn't tell you about how I write, I don't know what will.**

 **Don't worry, I won't kill everyone. There's no fun in that. I'll make you all wish they were dead so that their suffering could end~**

 **T** **hank you for your kind reviews (seriously, I love you guys). Constructive criticism is encouraged.** **Harassment is not encouraged and will not be tolerated. Neither is stalking or harassing those who I know and/or are friends with.**

 **See you next chapter, victims~**


	2. Chapter 2

[Nya]

"Alright Zane, what's going on? Because I don't like the idea of being surprised."

Cole had called a meeting right after Kai and I had finished washing up after dinner. We stood in the Bounty's bridge; the atmosphere had turned serious, even after the jokes and light conversation made during dinner. I was concerned myself, after living with the ninja for so long I've discovered that anything is possible (even if it's not within reason). As much as I'd hate to admit it, Zane's sixth sense had always been useful and Zane had never given anyone reason to doubt it.

"I sense something dark. An ancient force that is very powerful and will threaten Ninjago. I fear that we currently are not strong enough to be able to stop it" Zane answered.

"Something ancient and dark? Is it the Great Devourer?" Kai questioned, "we will stop the Serpentine Zane, all we need is one and we've defeated them."

Zane sighed, "it is unclear to me whether what I sense is related to the Serpentine or not. It is merely a sense of foreboding that I have had recently. The only part of the feeling that I can make out is that we are not enough as we are now. I believe that we may need assistance. It might be time we called the number Sensei Wu had given us."

When Sensei Wu left over a month ago, he stated that while we were gone Ninjago wasn't just in our hands. He had written down a number, he stated that this was a person we could trust and learn from. If we were desperate and needed help, all we had to do was call this person for guidance and aid. We immediately questioned why Sensei Wu didn't just contact them instead of going on a long journey to find an ally. He explained that his relationship with this person was complicated, that the only reason he had their number was because they both cared about someone that was important to both of them. At first I didn't believe it, but he emphasized that if he was on the same ship with this person long enough, he was certain there wouldn't be anything left.

Which only left a lot of questions about their relationship...

"So you want us to call them? I'm pretty sure Sensei Wu said to only do it if we were desperate" Jay said.

"It can't hurt to try" I countered, "if we call them now and regret it later, it would be better than if we didn't call them and regret it later when we really need them."

Kai shrugged, "I think my sister makes a good point."

"We're not calling anyone unless everyone agrees with it. This is a group decision, we either do it or we don't" Cole stated, "does anyone have any problems with calling this person up?"

The room had been silent for a whole minute before Cole asked if everyone was cool with calling the person. Everyone had agreed with it, so Cole retrieved the number and a phone quickly. He looked up at us, announced he would do it on speaker so we could all hear, before he called the number. There was only one ring before there was a response.

"Is this a prank call or the wrong number?" asked a female voice.

"Uh, neither, I guess" Cole stated, "our teacher gave us this number. I'm sorry if I disturbed you ma'am."

There was a pause before a harsh "who is your teacher?"

"Sensei Wu. He said he knew you and that we could–" Cole started.

"Of course it was him. Not even enough respect to call me himself, I should've known it was Wu. Next time I see him I swear I'm going to spinjitzu his ass right back into the last century where he belongs" she snapped before she calmed down, "how can I help? It has to be important otherwise Wu wouldn't have given you this number."

I was shocked. And I knew I hadn't been the only one with the expressions the others wore, they had been surprised by the outburst as well. Whatever Sensei Wu did to this woman, it had a negative effect on their relationship. What was so important to them that had caused them to still associate with each other despite the obvious hatred?

Cole quickly recovered, "well, our teacher left to retrieve help to stop the Serpentine and rescue his nephew but we feel like we need help while he's gone so we contacted you."

"What did you say about Lloyd?"

That surprised me as well. They didn't get along well, yet she was close enough to learn about Lloyd. I know Cole and Zane once had to take care of him the first time he escaped the boarding school, but Kai, Jay and I had learnt about Lloyd when he escaped the second time. Sensei Wu didn't seem to like to talk about family (no surprise why, if my brother went evil I wouldn't want to talk about it either) so how would she know about the would-be dark lord?

"Lloyd had been captured by the Serpentine" Cole answered, "we think he was trying to prove that he could be good too, or to impress Wu, so he tried to sneak into the Lost City of Ouroborus. It didn't go well."

"You're telling me that Wu got my son kidnapped?" she growled.

"It wasn't his fault. Mostly ours, really, we were meant to take care of him. But we will rescue him, we just need help" Cole said.

"Alright, I will. For my son and the sake of Ninjago" she replied, "who am I speaking to?"

"I'm Cole Damiani, black ninja and master of earth. My team lives on the Destiny's Bounty, a ship that is currently located in the Sea of Sand. I will have one of the others send you the exact location later" our leader stated.

"I'm Hisayo Garmadon. It's a pleasure to meet you, Cole. I will be there as soon as I can" she said before she hung up.

I sighed. That conversation could have gone better. Though, on the plus side, it could've gone much worse and Hisayo had agreed to help so Cole did complete the objective. It probably would've went smoother if someone who was better with words, like Kai or Zane, had talked to her instead of Cole. He means well but sometimes what he says isn't exactly helpful. Even Jay sometimes says the wrong thing, whether it's a small white lie or a joke at the wrong time. At least they both try, I'd be concerned if they didn't.

Jay decided to break the silence, "is anyone else concerned that we just invited the wife of the most evil villain Ninjago has even seen to help us out?"

"Sensei Wu did say that we could trust her. I also sense that she is trustworthy" Zane replied.

"I'm going to bed" I announced, "night guys."

* * *

I had quickly changed into my pajamas as soon as I entered my room. I was glad they had fit, I had only recently brought them and I didn't try them on until now. Not to mention that when I wasn't too sure they would fit from appearance, even though they were my size. They were very comfortable silver silk shorts and a matching shirt. I was about to head the bathroom (I was the only one who used it though, so technically it was my bathroom. I loved having a whole side of the ship to myself) to brush my teeth before bed when a knock on the door interrupted my routine. I walked over to the door and opened it to see Jay standing there.

"Can I come in?" he asked.

"Of course" I answered.

I stepped back and allowed Jay to enter the room. He quickly closed the door behind him as he did so. I took a seat on my bed while Jay decided to sit down at my vanity, moving the chair around to face me. I wondered what he wanted to talk about. Ever since we had started our relationship, Jay had started to be very honest about his past and more often than not we'd start talking about it. We had conversations about other things as well, and we usually talked just before bed. But a part of me would really like to have a conversation about the future. Of course thinking that far ahead when we haven't been dating for that long may not be the best idea. It'd be easier to focus on the present. For now, at least.

"Are you alright Nya? You usually don't go to bed early" Jay started.

I smiled, "I'm fine, I just felt a little tired. I don't know why, I got plenty of sleep last night. But I just felt the need to go to bed early."

"Are you sure that's all? Because I'm here if you need me" he continued.

I stood up and walked over to him. He allowed me to sit down on his lap, and I was enveloped by the scent of blueberries and vanilla. His sapphire blue eyes sparked, as if a lightning bolt just went through them. I tiled my head and licked my lips as I looked down at his own. I wasn't that far away from them, all I had to do was lean up a little bit.

Jay had taken the initiative, and I closed my eyes in bliss as his lips met mine. Perfectly sweet, I moved my head and used my tongue to demand access to play with his. Just like his element, Jay was lightning fast to respond and I could taste my partner better as our tongues danced together. I had shifted myself on his lap for more comfort, which earned a moan from him as he pulled me closer. I pulled him closer as well, my hands toyed with his hair as I did so. We pulled back only a little while later, both of us panted slightly.

"I trust you Jay. And I need you to trust that I will rely on you when I need to" I said, "but I really am just a bit tired. It has been a pretty long day."

Jay nodded, "it's probably a good idea to get an early night anyway. With Mrs. Garmadon coming and everything, we'd probably want to make a good first impression."

I got off of him as he stood up, "good night, Jay."

"Oh, yeah, you too Nya. Sweet dreams" he replied.

 _They will be if you're in them._

He left my room and closed the door behind himself again. I sighed in bliss. Jay and I needed to have another date, especially since our first and only date didn't exactly go as planned. Hopefully the next one can go without the Serpentine causing any trouble. I walked over to my wall and turned off my light. There wasn't any point in just thinking about this, I'd have to talk with Jay later when things seem quiet for a bit.

* * *

 **A/N: Second chapter.**

 **So we got some plot happening. For those who have read the original, the next chapter will contain a scene that was released in a later (though this scene had been changed a bit). One of my friends went over my old notes and actually gave me advice of how to pull off something I wanted to add in originally but decided to scrap.**

 **For those who haven't read the original, yes I gave Cole, Kai and Nya there own last names because the writers never did (fun fact, if you follow them on Twitter you'll see a lot of knock-knock jokes about these characters not having last names). Cole's last name is** **Damiani and I gave Kai and Nya the last name Ninomiya.** **I also gave Lloyd a new mother. Why? Misako just wouldn't work with this story, so I needed to have someone else who does. Pretty much, my plot requires Lloyd having a mother that actually acts like a mother.**

 **T** **hank you for your kind reviews (seriously, I love you guys). Constructive criticism is encouraged.**

 **See you next chapter, victims~**


	3. Chapter 3

[Nya]

 _"So this is the form of the silver panther? Interesting. I thought you'd be more attractive."_

 _I spun around to face the sound of the voice. There stood a man with ghostly pale skin and black hair that was tied back in a long pony tail down his back. He wore a Black coat over a black shirt with a dark red tie, black pants and shoes covered his legs. His eerie eyes were a bright violet that seemed to look through my soul. He looked ageless, I didn't know if he was older than me or around my age. And there was something about that gave me chills._

 _"What are you talking about?" I questioned._

 _"Oh you have no idea yet" he said, "you're merely the only one I can talk to right now, since everyone else is either hidden or already has their element protecting them. I am surprised, usually air is one of the first elements that become troublesome."_

 _I blinked, "you're confusing me."_

 _"I don't doubt that I am. I don't sense the presence of a bothersome old man around to explain anything to you. To be fair, I'm not supposed to be able to do this so soon. Which can only mean one thing" he grinned._

 _"What does it mean?" I asked._

 _"It means you're all here. The red lion, the blue horse, the white leopard, the black bear, the silver panther, the purple serpent, the orange rabbit, the yellow coyote and the golden dragon. You all exist at the same time. Which means that we'll see each other soon in real life. Because it won't be long until I'm free of this place" the man cheered._

 _I must have eaten something really bad before bed to have earned a dream like this. I shook my head, this was crazy. And what was the deal with all the strange colored animals? Why did he address me like I was one? The silver panther apparently. Maybe I should talk to Jay about watching different movies, these really weren't good for my mental health apparently._

 _"Oh trust me, you'll understand it all soon enough. It won't be long until you do, actually. And it will be a lot of fun when you do" he grinned._

 _"You can't be any clearer? Why are you calling me '_ _silver panther' anyway?"_

 _He laughed, "oh I wish I could explain it Nya Ninomiya, but that would take away all the fun. I will give you this hint though. When we do meet in person, I'm going to rip out your heart_ _like–"_

 _Pain exploded through my chest as I felt his hand go through it. I looked up at him, the man grinned like a manic. I gasped as the pain became practically unbearable and collapsed when he removed his hand._

 _"That."_

I had practically jumped out of bed when I woke up, a hand on my chest right over my heart which seemed to pound loudly. I was perfectly fine, in my room early in the morning. My chest was fine, my heart was fine. No one had attacked me while I was asleep.

I shook my head, there was no way I'd go back to sleep now that I was that shaken up from a nightmare. I decided to get ready for the day and gathered my clothes. Maybe I'd surprise the boys and cook breakfast for them. That would at least make this day great for them. Later I could talk to Jay about the nightmare, I did say I'd trust him with my problems and I do think it would be best if I talked to someone about it. Especially since it made no real sense whatsoever. Perhaps Jay could make something out of it.

With that in mind, I got dressed for the day.

* * *

[Kai]

I signed as I walked out into the deck of the Bounty. It was a chilly morning; the sky was grey allowing a little light to aid my eyes. Sunrise exercises wouldn't begin for another half hour but I wanted to get in some extra practice. Mostly because I wanted to some time to take out my anger on the training dummies. I knew about my sister's relationship and I decided I'd allow it for now. Nya needed her space with this, she was mature. That didn't mean I wasn't going to test Jay, but I needed to trust Nya with this. The worst part I can't even offer some advice to my sister. After all, she's had more experience in this area than me.

Sure I flirted with the girls but I never went as far as dating any of them. I didn't need a girlfriend; I was too busy for one anyway. Not with the blacksmith store to run and my sister to take care of, free time wasn't something I'd allow myself to indulge in. I had thought about what it would be like to meet someone. But I would never let my guard down around anyone. Not with everything that had happened around that time. _  
_

I pulled out the Golden Sword and set up a few dummies. It's been a while since I practiced with it. Of course I knew that I shouldn't. After Jay and Zane unlocked their true potential, their golden weapon seemed to react negatively to them using them. Sensei Wu has said that the golden weapons only drew out the powers inside us. I guess since they had had their powers at easy access, the weapon didn't need to draw out anything. I went through some moves and destroyed my imaginary opponents. Fighting was the perfect distraction, even training could give some relief from your thoughts.

"Wow Kai, way to trash the ship."

I looked up, pulled off my hood as my brothers walked down the stairs and onto the deck. Jay wore a large grin, as if to showcase that it was him who made the remark if I couldn't tell by the voice. I rolled my eyes, sheathed my sword and started to clean up my mess. Looks like it was time for sunrise exercise. For some reason Nya had decided to join us. I found it strange, considering she used to brag that she was allowed to sleep in on Wednesday. I wouldn't call her lazy, she usually was up half and hour later than this, though. I noticed the way she looked at Jay. A bit of confusion, longing, admiration and something else I'm going to ignore was clear in her eyes. I swallowed back my protest and instead stood beside her as I waited for our partners to be chosen.

"Okay, because Nya decided to join us this morning we have an odd number. Nya gets to decide whether she wants a partner or if she wants to train by herself" Cole began.

Nya smiled, "I don't mind. Either one is fine with me."

Cole nodded as he clearly thought about the match-ups in his head, before he answered, "Okay, Nya and Zane will be partnered while I'll be with Kai. Anyone got any objections?"

No one said anything and we started our fights. Jay walked over to another end of the ship and trained with the Sparring Bot but I could see that his attention was focused mostly at Nya. He had picked up on it too, something was going on in my sister's head. But the real question was whether Jay knew something or if he was just as clueless as I was. I dodged a punch aimed at my face, followed my a kick aimed at my side as Cole clearly tried to gain my attention. I sent him a glare.

"You need to focus on this. Besides, it's her love life. Let whatever happens happen" he said.

"Excellent advice, but perhaps if you hadn't tried to punch him in the face he'd actually listen to it. He seems like the stubborn type"

I turned around instantly. Leaning against the railing of the Bounty was an elderly woman with grey hair tied back in a low ponytail and green eyes. She had a large suitcase beside her and was holding a side bag and a bo staff. Her outfit was reminded me of Sensei Wu's, expect a different pattern and instead of gold, it was bronze. I sensed the others movement as they gathered around the mysterious woman.

"You must be Hisayo. It is a pleasure to meet you" Zane greeted.

"Oh please, you didn't even know I existed until yesterday. Although I do admire how polite you are" she replied "I brought a lot of research I collected on anything that relates to you. Elementals, Green ninja, mystic ninja, the chosen ones and everything else along those lines. Most of these were stuff my husband has left behind when he was banished, so I do believe it is fairly accurate."

"Thanks, it's good to know you come prepared" Cole responded.

Hisayo smiled, "I don't like risks. Especially when my son and the world is on the line. While Wu is gone, I will try to act as your teacher. I have learnt a lot from the two brothers after all, along with my own studies. But before I begin I would like to put my bags away."

"Of course. We'll show you to your room" Nya answered.

Cole attempted to grab her luggage but Hisayo had nothing of it, and took it herself. We began the tour of our ship, Jay shared unnecessary details along the way until we had arrived at her room. It was down the same hall as Sensei's quarters, Cole had set it up yesterday. The room was plain, a bed in the middle with two bedside tables nest to it. A large wardrobe sat at the opposite wall while a desk was placed near the door. After Hisayo placed down her bags, we headed back to the deck to begin our training.

"So how far are you in your training? How much do you know about your elemental powers?" Hisayo began.

"Well, me and Zane are the only ones who have unlocked our true potential. Other than that, nothing" Jay explained.

Hisayo seemed shocked, "you needed to unlock your true potential?"

"Yeah, and we still do" I said.

"I forgot for a second that Garmadon had stolen as much as he could about the elementals and their abilities" Hisayo said "though Wu should know better, he's met some before you all. You don't need to unlock you true potential to use your elemental abilities. It's more of a jump start and it makes it easier to use your element. But with hard work, you can unlock your powers by yourself."

"Really?"

"Yes and here's a little hint for you. Feel your element in your heart. Then imagine your heart pumping it through the veins to where you need it" she added.

After that advice we went off to our own areas to practice our elemental abilities. Jay and Zane aced it and had discovered multiple ways to use their powers. Cole and I didn't share the same luck. It was half an hour of failing until I had managed to ignite my fist on fire for a few seconds before it went out. Frustrated, I looked over to see what my sister did. Hisayo and Nya seemed to spar against each other, Hisayo was very good and kept my sister on her toes. I focused back on my elemental training, and an hour later Hisayo had called us back.

"That's enough elemental training today. When it comes to elements, it's dangerous to push yourselves, so I'd recommend only doing it once per day until you get the hang of it" Hisayo stated, "for now we'll work on the more physical training. What are each of your fighting styles and strengths?"

"My main style is Karate, but I also know Judo. My strength is defence" Cole stated.

"I use Jeet Kune Do, it's my only style and my speed is my strength" Jay followed.

Zane bowed, "I specialise in Hwa Rang Do, and have also studied Muay Thai. My strength would be stealth."

"My strength is attack. I favor Zi Ran Men, but I also know Wing Chun, Aikido and Tai Chi Chuan" I answered.

Nya smiled, "I'm similar to my brother, I specialise in attack as well. My favorite art is Feng Shou, and I also Wing Chun, Aikido and Tai Chi Chuan."

Hisayo nodded, "interesting. This will be a bit of a challenge, with the number of people and the uneven number of students, training you all evenly will be hard. But nothing I shouldn't be able to handle."

* * *

 **A/N: Chapter number three~**

 **See, not that different. It's only slightly and it lead to a slightly better plot. I also mentioned the ninja's speciality and fighting styles here. Yeah. And we got a different dream for Nya, a nasty nightmare right. How many of you think it's just a nightmare? Though the question answers itself if you've already read this book before.**

 **T** **hank you for your kind reviews (seriously, I love you guys). Constructive criticism is encouraged.**

 **See you next chapter, victims~**


	4. Chapter 4

[Nya]

I took a deep breath before I knocked on Hisayo's door. I needed some advice right now, and Hisayo was the closet thing I had to a wise old man. After all, she's got quite a bit of experience, and I could use some of that right now. Not to mention that it would be really nice to talk to am actual girl face to face. I talked with a friend through letters sometimes, but because she kept traveling around Ninjago, it's always hard to get a hold of her. I never know really know where to send the mail. So Hisayo was really the only woman I could talk to, and at least she would help me sort through this. Besides, she seemed way to mature to laugh at me about nightmares, so that's one thing I'm guaranteed to get out of this.

"Come in, the door is unlocked" came her voice.

I smiled as I entered the room, "I was hoping we could talk."

"Hopefully about what distracted you during training" Hisayo stated.

I was surprised by Hisayo's room. In a few hours she had managed to make the place completely her own. Her desk was littered with scrolls and books, probably what she had been working on before I interrupted her. Photos of her and Lloyd, from a young baby to young child, littered her bedside tables. She obviously visited him while he was at Darkley's. Her suitcases where empty, only a few items of clothing weren't put away. A very cute green tea pot decorated by a gold dragon rested on a stool, with matching tea cups nearby it. Hisayo pulled her chair and sat in it, gesturing for me to sit on her bed. I smiled and sat down.

"So what does the mysterious samurai need from an old woman?" she began "I can only imagine what you'd want to talk about. From personal experience, living with boys is not as fun as some girls might think. Attractive or not, their stupidity can get annoying real fast."

"I wanted to get a few things off my chest really. I was planning on talking to Jay about this, but I really could use your advice" I replied.

Hisayo poured a cup of tea and passed it to me. I took a sip and instantly felt calm and relaxed. She poured herself a cup as well, before she gestured for me to continue what I wanted to say. I gathered my thoughts and decided what part I wanted to tell her. Another sip of the expertly made tea and I was prepared to talk.

"Last night I had the strangest dream. It turned more into a nightmare at the. I really don't know what to make of it, it was just confusing" I said.

Hisayo nodded, "has anything been on your mind lately? Something changed? Or has something remained the same that you wish would change?"

I raised an eyebrow, "not really. I've recently gotten in a relationship with Jay, but that was a while ago. And I can't think of anything I'd want to change about my life."

"Not even the fact that you're not a ninja? You're a samurai, without elemental powers and not fully part of the team. Maybe this dream was caused simply by a fear that you don't fully belong or that you're not of equal to them? I can understand how that feels, I felt left out all the time with my old group" she sighed.

"It's not like that at all! The boys try their hardest to make me feel included and valued, and I know I'm an important part of this team. Sure, I'd love elemental powers if I had them, and being a ninja would be great. I'd have no complaints if destiny decided that I was meant to wear a gi" I paused for a moment, "but after seeing all I can accomplish, all on my own, I'm happy being the samurai."

Hisayo smiled, "that sounded more like an epiphany, than something you've known for awhile."

"Yeah, I know. It feels strange, like a weight has just been lifted off my chest. I needed to realize that" I stated.

"So about this nightmare. What scared you enough about it to need to talk to an old woman?" she asked.

"Honestly, most of what I could remember is a guy speaking a bunch of nonsense about animals before he attempted to rip my heart out of my chest" I answered, "I woke up before anything else happened."

"Strange, I a friend once told me something similar" Hisayo shrugged, "how did you feel before you went to bed?"

"Tired. I went to bed earlier than I usually do, and the meal I cooked was a fast an easy one. We also had a talk about ancient creatures and possible doom before we called you, so I guess that could've had something to do with it" I laughed.

Hisayo rolled her eyes, "well try not to stress yourself out. And know that if anything evil does try to threaten Ninjago, I'm sure you'd be able to handle it with a little help from the boys."

"Thanks, Hisayo" I smiled.

I saluted her eastern style, before I returned my cup of tea and stood. As I walked to the door I could feel a sense of excitement, relief and confidence. I felt so much stronger from the conversation, like nothing could touch me or I'd blow them away. It was a feeling that I liked. Though I did miss Sensei Wu, I was glad that Hisayo is here. I definitely didn't mind her company and she seemed to be able to give great advice. I paused when I reached the and turned back towards the new teacher as a prick of curiosity and uncertainty.

"Since you're already giving me advice, any chance you could lend some more?" I asked.

"If this is about dating, I'm not exactly a role model" she responded.

"You have to have some advice, some wisdom you can offer" I argued.

"I fell for a guy who told me right when we met that he one day he would change, he'd become someone he would despise and that I wouldn't be able to love. I managed to convince that same man a few years later marry me, despite what ran through his blood. I was warned multiple times about how he'd turn into something dark and evil and I still dated him" she answered, "so you can suffer the same way I did and figure out what to do by yourself."

"So helpful and caring" I muttered before I left.

* * *

[Lloyd]

I wrapped my arms tighter around myself. I thought that you wouldn't find any cold drafts underground, but apparently I had been wrong. Guess I should've payed more attention in that stupid boarding school. I ignored the pangs of hunger that I felt, I'd learnt very quickly that asking for food would leave me being unfed until they felt like it. I hated these stupid snakes. I was covered in sand and dirt, starving, cold and bored. Living with the ninja hadn't been the best, they always suspected me of doing something bad and they hardly ever let me play on their video games, but at least they were nice to me. At least there was also someone who would comfort me if I had a nightmare.

I coughed again, my throat still hurt. I don't remember how long ago, but I remember seeing another human. I can't remember male or female, but when I called out to them they didn't respond. And I called out a lot. Their eyes, I didn't recognise them but I knew that they belonged to someone happy. It was confusing, who would be happy to be in a place like this? Other than those stupid serpentine, of course. You'd think that the snakes would be nicer to the person responsible for their freedom. They could at least feed me once a day.

"What do you make of this new ally, Pythor?"

I curled into a ball and turned away from the entrance, as if I has been asleep. If the snakes knew I was awake they'd torment me. They also would stop talking and since I ended up in the cage for trying to help the ninja, the least I could do is find out some useful information for when they saved me. At least I hoped they saved me.

"As much as I'd hate to admit it, if she is right it would be very useful having her on our side" Pythor answered.

 _She? Since when where there female serpentine?_

"I say we play along with her until she is no longer of use" a general hissed.

Pythor chuckled, "I was planning on killing her off once the ninja are dead. Though the abilities she stated she has could be useful, until we have proof she will die as we celebrate the death of those pathetic ninja. And that may not be so far away."

"I take it you have a plan, Pythor?"

"Of course I do. And this one is a real sinker" he replied.

A different general laughed, "sounds like you have it all worked out. How long do we have to wait?"

"Hopefully not long. Once we have gathered everything we need we'll head out and destroy them once and for all."

I tried not to show any reaction. I couldn't let them hurt the ninja but I didn't know if I'd escape in time to warn them about Pythor's plan. The ninja were my only real hope. They were Ninjago's only hope. And now everyone was going to suffer for my mistakes. I really regretted opening up the Hypnobrai tomb now. As I tried not to cry, a loud thud-like noise filled the air and distracted the generals from their conversation. They rushed away and I looked up. I shook, but not from the cold. If it scared off the generals, there was chance that it wasn't my rescue crew.

 ** _'Lloyd? Where are you? Picture it for me please, I can barely smell anything with the scent of these rotten Serpentine around.'_**

I looked up and around and tried to do what the voice asked. It was a mans voice, but it was comforting, strong and kind. I didn't know what a voice in my head would help me with, but at least it distracted me from my hunger. It chuckled before I the sound of heavy footsteps filled the hallway and the roo,. I retreated back further into my cage when I heard it. I thought I could trust the voice, that it was just made up. I was certain that it was a monster that wanted my location after the footsteps came.

A green dragon poked it's head around the corner, _**'There you are. Let's get you out of here, chosen one.'**_

"How do I know I can trust you?" I questioned, "and what do you mean 'chosen one'?"

 _ **'Well I doubt you realize it now. In fact, I hadn't realized it until a little while ago. And I had hoped you would be older. It's a minor set back, we'll handle that part once we get you back to your protectors. I'll explain everything better then.'**_

"How are you speaking to me? It's weird and your mouth isn't moving either" I said.

I wasn't sure, but I think it rolled it's eyes, _**'Dragon's only speak Draconic verbally. Our mouths are different shapes to humans, we can't make the exact same noises. In order for you to understand us, we have to translate our thoughts in a way you understand them. If we are done with these questions, I will get you out there.'**_

"Uh, okay" I replied.

* * *

 **A/N: Chapter four, yeah.**

 **Not much has changed here either, except I changed the dragons a little bit. That doesn't really matter plot-wise though, so who really cares. We got a slightly better understanding of Hisayo here as well, so there's a bonus. Oh and just something I'd like to point out. Did anyone see the part episode ten 'The Green Ninja' where Nya was talking about being the green ninja. I also thought it would be very ironic if that activated her true potential and she became the green ninja.**

 **For anyone who is new to this fanfic, I'm sorry but we won't be seeing more Lloyd and dragon adventures next chapter. But he does appear again before the end of this book, so Lloyd will be back.**

 **T** **hank you for your kind reviews (seriously, I love you guys). Constructive criticism is encouraged.**

 **See you next chapter, victims~**


	5. Chapter 5

[Nya]

I jolted in bed as I felt my legs and arms pinned down by clawed hands. I blinked for a moment to adjust my eyes. The Serpentine lifted me up and carried me as I thrashed in their grips. I wouldn't let them get away with this. I tried to yell out, to warn the others, but my cries were muffled when clawed hands covered my mouth. I had been tempted to bite down on the hand, but I stopped when I heard someone else struggle. I tried to turn my head to see, but the hand that restrained my face wouldn't allow it. I flinched slightly at the pain that came when my struggles caused me to cut myself, but that didn't stop my protests.

The Serpentine carried me out onto the Bounty's deck. It was dark still, the morning had just started to add some light to the sky. I managed to catch a glimpse of the generals before I forced down on my knees, chains clamped around my wrists and ankles. I tested the bonds, they weren't going to break easily. I froze when something grabbed my hand. When I turned, all I saw was Jay's deep blue eyes. I sighed and looked past him. All of the boys were chained to the Destiny's Bounty; Hisayo joined us as well. I glared at the Serpentine generals. Whatever they planed, I would make sure it wouldn't come to action. I knew that the others would do he same.

"Look what we have here" Pythor hissed, "all the pests in one place."

"Aww, Pythor, surely our relationship was more than that" Jay snickered.

Pythor sneered, "you imbecile. Be glad that I will grant you that one last laugh, blue ninja."

"I wish you were right, Pythor" Cole started, "but we've been trying to keep Jay quiet for a long time. Nothing really works for long."

"Say your last words, ninja. It's funny, I may actually miss watching you fail to stop me" he retorted.

Before anyone replied to the conversation, the Serpentine on the Bounty's deck retreated. Before anyone managed to question their intensions, a loud explosion went off and the Destiny's Bounty shook from the force. It followed by two more, which caused the Bounty to shake again. The ship started to sink. The Serpentine must have planted the bombs in the hull of our Bounty. We were right in the middle of Veridian Lake, one of the more deeper lakes in Ninjago. There wasn't any chance that we'd remain above water. Especially since water had already started to gather over the deck.

"Cole, you're strong right? Is there any chance you'd be strong enough to keep at least us afloat with your swimming?" Jay asked.

"Jay, I can barely move. I wouldn't even be able to keep myself afloat. And I'm stuck on ideas, anyone got any suggestions?" he questioned.

Hisayo sighed, "you're elemental masters! Who here has mastered their element, one of them has to be useful!"

"Jay and I have both reached our full potential. Cole and Kai have begun their training on unlocking their elemental powers without their true potential but have yet to master it. The only elements we can rely on are ice and lightning. Both would have been useful if the water had not already reached the deck" Zane answered.

"Hey, I'm sure my element could be useful! I'll just–"

"Jay, have you ever stuck anything electrical in a bathtub while you were in it?"

"No, of course not. If you put anything eletri– oh, right. Lightning would not be a good idea to use here."

I looked up, "Kai, are you alright?"

"He's unconscious, the Serpentine knocked him out because he wouldn't stop struggling. I'm doing the best I can to keep him out of the water" Cole replied.

I struggled harder against my restraints. I had to get out of here, I had to save Kai. I had to save Jay. I had to do something. My wrists and ankles hurt, and something other than water trickled down my hand. I pulled harder at the chains. I felt a whirlwind of anxiousness and anger inside me, I couldn't let the Serpentine get away their plan. Jay attempted to hold my hand, but I refused it and continued my struggles.

 _We're not dying here! I won't allow it!_

Suddenly something rushed out of me and I landed facedown onto the Bounty's deck. The completely _dry_ deck. I looked down at my hands, the water seemed to move around it, as if something forced it away from them. My hair was tossed around by the winds that seemed to come from their direction. I lifted my hands up, the winds blew more wildly, as if my hands were encased in spheres of air. I felt the eyes of my teammates on me but I ignored that for a moment. I managed to get onto my feet, and looked around.

 _I have got to be doing this somehow. All I have to do is figure out how to control it._

I extended my hand to me teammates and focused on the sensation of a wild storm inside me. I pushed it out and tried to think about the chains around my allies breaking. A burst of wind propelled from my outstretched hand and the chains that connected my friends to the boat shattered. The stood up, Cole lifted my brother into his arms, while I focused harder. I pushed the around me and focused on the Destiny's Bounty. We'd already lost one home to the Serpentine, and I wouldn't let us lose another one to their plans. I had never experience anything like what I did. The wind became wild, it coiled around the Bounty. Water went everywhere as the air pushed it out of the ship. It was like the whole ship had been enveloped in the same sphere's of wind my hands where covered by earlier. I barely heard anything over the sound of the wind.

"Nya, release the ship now!"

I listened to Zane and released all of that elemental energy. The wind died down and the Destiny's Bounty landed on something hard. I collapsed along with it, tired, though instead of landing on something hard I had hit something soft instead. I caught a glimpse of deep blue eyes before everything went black.

* * *

[Jay]

"Look on the bright side. At least we have an excuse to do that remodelling idea we wanted to do" I laughed.

I tugged at the tree we had cut down with Kai's help. Cole also had a tree the he had ripped out of the ground; it was tucked nicely under his arm as if it weighed nothing. It was kind of unfair that Cole has super-strength like that. What was he, a titan? At least it had made gathering all the wood easier. We needed to patch up the holes the Serpentine had made before we could anywhere. I was just glad that everything necessary for flying had been left alone, that would've taken forever to fix, especially with the lack of resources we had.

"Zane, this is the fifth time you've confirmed there is nothing wrong with me. And I feel perfectly fine myself. Can I help out now?" Nya asked.

Kai looked over his shoulder, "sis, you controlled the wind and then passed out. You're not getting up until we know what's going on with you."

"I feel fine" she countered, "and Jay and Zane passed out when they unlocked their true potential. Maybe I unlocked mine?"

Nya rested beside Hisayo on a log. After Nya saved us and passed out, we all grew concerned for her and decided that it would be best if she rested for a bit. Kai wanted (and practically begged) Zane to scan his sister for anything that would've happened to her. We were all worried, but I had to agree with Nya. Once or twice was a reasonable amount to scan someone for injuries, but five times? That was a little excessive, even for him. And Nya did have a point, what happened was pretty similar to when Zane and I had both unlocked out true potentials. Almost exactly the same, if I remembered correctly. There was just one problem with what Nya had said.

"Sis, as awesome as that would be, I'm pretty sure Sensei Wu made it clear there were only four elements. Air wasn't one of the elements; and as cool as it would be for you to have elemental abilities, we can't be sure about it yet" Kai argued.

"Actually, there is more than four elements" Hisayo sighed.

I laughed, "Ah, come again? There are more elements?"

"Well, from what I learned from traveling with Garmadon and Wu, all the elements come from one element. Aether, which the First Spinjitzu Master was said to be able to manipulate. The green ninja will have that element as well, along with the four elements of creation and the four elements of life. Earth, Fire, Ice and Lightning are the four elements of creation. Air, Illusion, Nature and Spirit are the four elements of life" Hisayo explained, "and there are legends about all those elements. I should've expected it, if there was a fire elemental there would be an air elemental as well. Though, then again, I was surprised to see a full set."

"There is something that you're not telling us, Hisayo. You know more than you have let on" Zane stated.

"Why is it I get a bad feeling whenever he asks that question?" I muttered.

Kai gently placed down his end of the wood, and I followed his example. We made our way over to our most recent sensei. Nya sat beside her, interested in her response as Zane moved so that he sat at her feet. We joined our brother, Cole hadn't joined right away due to the trees he carried, but he could still hear quite well from where he was. I couldn't believe some of the things Hisayo had taught us. Who knew Wu had kept so much from us? And why did he keep so much from us? I trusted him and his wacky wisdom, but I couldn't think of any reason why he'd keep all that information to himself.

Hisayo sighed, this one full of sadness, "as I said, there are legends and prophecies. There is a legend about a creature so dark and powerful, he's practically a god. He's called Thanatos, the god of death. Apparently when all the elements of creation and life meet, it will be to stop him from destroying Ninjago. Wu and Garmadon used to think that the green ninja prophecy was related to this. But after Garmadon turned… we quickly figured out that wasn't the case."

"So if Nya is in possession of the element of air, does that mean that the legend about Thanatos is true?" Kai asked.

"I know it's true, but you don't need to worry. Thanatos makes a play for escaping his seal every once and a while. It's too soon after his last attempt, and not all those elemental masters have passed from what I know, so it's unlikely to happen in your lifetime" she replied.

"Wait what?! There were other elemental masters!" I exclaimed.

Hisayo nodded, "I travelled with a few of them. Elements reincarnate, each time strong than their last incarnation. Though the soul they attach themselves to are always different each time, their are certain characteristics that remain the same. Including certain physical characteristics. Elementals and regular people have slightly different physiology to one another, elementals naturally being able to excel in certain areas and being more resistant to certain things. It what's makes them the perfect warriors and what allowed Wu to find you all so quickly."

"How do the elements reincarnate? Or choose who to reincarnate in?" Cole asked.

"The most efficient way for the elements to reincarnate is through blood, though that's not always the case. If the soul is able to handle it than the element will be just as willing to choose that person as it's host. Only worthy people can wield an element. Elements only choose to reincarnate as soon as their last master has passed or their master rejects the full abilities of that element" Hisayo answered.

"I am more concerned about this prophecy to do with Thanatos" Zane stated, "though you have said the risk to be small, it still exists Hisayo. There could be a chance that we may be facing him in the future."

Hisayo paused for a moment, her eyes focused on her thoughts. Then she placed her head in her hands, before she rose and walked over to the edge of the lake, near the Destiny's Bounty. No one had made any movement to follow her, it was clear there was something in her past that Zane's statement had brought up. Patience may not have been Kai's forte, but he was still a ninja and we had all learnt to wait. Though I had decided to keep an eye on him just in case he had decided to do something crazy out of impatience.

"I don't know much about what happened. Garmadon and Wu kept me out of it as much as possible, and none of the elementals wanted to share that kind of information. Garmadon eventually agreed to telling me about it but" Hisayo paused, "he... he never got the chance. Garmadon refused to try and make contact with me after he was banished. But I do know someone I can call who Garmadon could have shared the information to."

"Really? Who?" Nya asked.

"Garmadon, despite the fact that he avoided me, always managed to talk to our children. I highly doubt he would've shared anything with Lloyd, but he may have said something to Dante, Lloyd's older brother" she replied.

 _Oh great, another Garmadon..._

"Well once the Bounty is up and running, you should call him. Hopefully he takes on more after you than his father" Cole stated.

Hisayo's eyes said everything. Dante Garmadon was bigger trouble than his younger brother. And he would be living with us.

* * *

 **A/N: Chapter Number Five~**

 **I also wanted to add Dante in, but I decided against it in the original of this fic. But I managed to bring him back, and trust me, you all will be very pleased to meet him. Hopefully, anyway. He does make a huge impact on the story, since there is a specific character who won't appear without him. Ah, I love being a writer. You can torment a whole bunch of people and they just continue reading it because they love to suffer like that.**

 **Anyway, hope you all enjoyed this chapter.**

 **T** **hank you for your kind reviews (seriously, I love you guys). Constructive criticism is encouraged.**

 **See you next chapter, victims~**


	6. Chapter 6

[Kai]

I sighed as I trained on the deck by myself. Jay and Nya had checked out the Destiny's Bounty, it had been repaired enough to fly, but we couldn't leave to do a supply run in the nearby city until Hisayo's other son arrived. Dante Garmadon. I heard a few rumors about him. Apparently he not only went to Darkley's, he aced most of the classes. Though the school had stated that he was more of a bad-boy than a criminal mastermind, I was worried that this guy would be too much like his father. Afterall Lloyd did release the Serpentine, his older brother might one-up him and release the Great Devourer.

And then there's Nya's newly discovered elemental abilities. I was extremely worried about that, my sister was a talented fighter but she could be a bit reckless sometimes. I guess it must run in the family, but that didn't make it any better. I was happy for her, proud that she was a part of the team, but I wanted her safe, and that was easier for her when she walked around in that giant suit of armour.

Hisayo encouraged her though, even started to call Nya our first kunoichi. Though she didn't just encourage Nya, she offered her support to us in multiple ways. She even started to work on new uniforms for us. She asked us to give her our measurements and went and afterwards went straight to work. While I loved the uniform Sensei Wu had given us, what I have seen of Hisayo's unfinished work was insanely awesome. Even Jay would be able to look intimidating with that gi on. She even had picked out a nice silver for Nya, to symbolise her air element. The best part about them was that despite the fact that they all looked different from each other (though it really was too early to tell), there seemed to be just enough in common that people would be able to tell we were a team.

I paused. I sensed that someone had approached the Destiny's Bounty. Though I didn't sense hostility and the person had approached us from somewhere anyone who explored the forest would've casually walked through. My guess would be that the our guest had arrived. I sighed and sheathed my sword, just as Hisayo walked out onto the deck with Zane and Cole. I was certain that Jay and Nya both would've been able to sense our visitor, so something must have kept them busy. Hopefully I wouldn't get to much trouble from Jay when I question him about it later.

The first thing I noticed when I turned around was the curve of a double-bladed scythe. A black cloak danced in the wind, the hood and mask down so that I could see his face clearly. It appeared like a more masculine version of Lloyd's face, though instead of a deep ruby-red like Lloyd's eyes, he had dark mixture of cherry and mahogany. Other features that separated them would be the scar on the left side of Dante's lip, and hair color. The older son of the dark lord had brown hair that could almost be confused for black with how dark it appeared; a complete contrast of Lloyd's more dark-golden hair color. And, though it surprised me, he may have actually been a little more tanned than his younger brother as well. I wouldn't know for sure unless I saw them standing close to each other.

I also noticed that despite the fact he looked confident, he was shorter than me. He was around the average height of a male, on the shorter end of average, and I was certain that everyone on the Destiny's Bounty besides Nya and Hisayo would tower over him with ease. Though the obvious height difference either hadn't bothered him or he had been completely oblivious to it (a little hard to miss with a giant like Cole in front of him). He merely gazed around with a bored expression, as his eyes shimmered with intrigue and excitement that untrained eyes would have missed.

"The red ninja of fire" he stated in a calm tone, "the white ninja of ice and with the black ninja of earth. I'm honored, not a lot of people get to see shinobi, elemental ones at that, without their masks on."

Hisayo chuckled, "overlooking your own mother because there are elementals around? I should be offended, Dante."

"Relax mom, I was just about to say hello" he winked.

"Well I guess we should introduce ourselves properly then. I'm Cole Damiani, this is Zane Julien and the one in red is Kai Ninomiya" Cole started.

I felt Hisayo gaze on my and when I turned around I caught a glimpse of curiosity and despair in her eyes, just before she turned away. Before I could question anything, Cole continued, "our other two team members are somewhere around here. Jay Walker the master of lightning and Nya, the used to be samurai and now the first kunoichi. She's also Kai's sister."

"Good to know" he turned to me, "how protective are you of your sister? Because I've met a lot of guys with siblings, and when—"

"If you even look at my sister suggestively I will rip you to pieces. Then I'll leave Jay to whatever is left of you" I threatened.

He laughed loudly, "trust me Kai, that was not where the question was going. I was merely curious about a stereotype. Though I'll admit, if I was going to be attracted to a sibling on this ship, it wouldn't be your sister. And in a certain context, what you 'threatened' me with would've been very suggestive."

Heat rushed to my face at the remark and I turned away. I heard Cole's laughter, as well as a disappointed sigh from Hisayo and I was certain that if I looked up, I would see Zane with a confused expression as he tried to figure out what Cole had found hilarious. He probably wouldn't have noticed if nobody reacted; he probably would've just thought it was a compliment. I looked at the older Garmadon sibling out of the corner of my eye. Not only did his eyes shine with confidence, but his face wore the expression, along with satisfaction.

 _What I wouldn't give for Lloyd right now... I have no issues with anyone's sexual preference, or whatever it's called, but... this guy definitely drove me nuts..._

"I do not understand... are you implying that you are more attracted to Kai than to his sister? Is that the joke?"

Cole finally calmed down, "no Zane. Dante's gay, he's into men. Kai just overreacted and Dante revealed the innuendo that Kai had accidentally made."

"I see. How interesting, I had never met a homosexual man before. To be honest though, I had never really asked anyone of their sexuality, until recently I had just assumed the preference of everyone's attraction. I had quickly discovered that matters of the heart were not so clear once I had left Snowhedge village" Zane stated.

"It's good to see you're not getting the torches and pitchforks ready. I was worried for a second" Dante said.

I sighed and looked over at him, "we're not the kind of people to discriminate. I know in some places, it's expected that if you say anything that implies you even support same-sex couples and whatnot then you're tortured brutally and murdered without anyone reporting or investigating. But here, we're smart enough to understand that those types of choices don't effect us. As well the fact that we realise that no one should be punished for something they can't control, or for who they love."

"What I do not understand is why homosexuality is seen as unnatural. Anyone who has studied science would know that there is evidence showing that homosexuality over one thousand and five hundred species of animals. It seems rather irrational that people ignore such obvious facts on the subject" Zane stated.

Dante smiled at us. That smile seemed more genuine than his other ones. Something told me he hadn't had any kind of support in a long time, "anyway, I went over everything you had said and gather what I had gotten from dad. While some scrolls say that the destiny involving the green ninja and the four ninja of creation is a separate prophecy to the one about the ninja of creation and life defeating Thanatos, there is a lot more evidence supporting that they are the same. One of the many titles Thanatos has gone by is 'Dark Lord' so there is a good chance that he could be the dark lord the green ninja's prophecy is about. In fact, if we discover the green ninja, we should all be worried. Because it states that when all eight elementals and the green ninja exist in the same lifetime, Thanatos will be able to enter Ninjago."

"So pretty much as long as no one is the green ninja, we're safe?" I questioned.

"Yeah, pretty much. There's also some other stuff. Magical weapons, stuff about how the golden weapons won't work after certain points, animal titles. Just some random stuff, most of it doesn't seem too important" Dante shrugged.

* * *

[Jay]

I stood silently in front of Nya's door, my hand raised but I couldn't bring myself to knock. I didn't know why, but I had a feeling that Nya needed me. It would make sense. In just a little over two months, we had been through a lot of changes. Sensei Wu left, Nya revealed her identity as the samurai, we started dating, Hisayo joined us, we discovered a few things Sensei Wu forgot to mention, Nya discovered she was an air elemental and now the first son of the dark lord would be the team and possibly our roommate. If Nya was even a little stressed, it would probably be justified. But if I asked her and she was completely fine, she might take it the wrong way and think that I don't think she can handle herself. Which would be completely wrong; I felt admiration at how strong she was as a person.

The door slowly opened and Nya stood there in a loose blue shirt with silver pants. I quickly moved my hand behind my head sheepishly. I forgot that while Nya hadn't participated in all the training we had done, she had enough ninja training to be able to sense when someone was nearby. We all had heightened senses, to ensure that even if one was taken away during battle, we'd still be able to fight. So Nya had probably sense my presence since I walked up the hallway.

"Did you want to talk about something? You've been standing there for awhile now" she said.

"I just wanted to see how you were doing" I replied, "a lot has happened recently, so it would be understandable if you're even a little stressed out. Hell, I'm surprised I'm not completely stressed out with all the changes."

Nya paused for a moment and her soft smile shifted into a neutral expression. Then her arms were thrown around me and her face was buried in my chest. I didn't even need to think, I pulled her into my arms and carried her into her room, with a swift kick to door with my foot. I then positioned her so that she'd be comfortably on my lap as I sat on her bed. Nya wasn't in tears but I still rubbed her back in comfort. It looked like I had been right, Nya needed me more tan I realized.

Nya laughed without humor, "It's kinda funny... I unlocked my true potential and became a ninja by realizing I didn't need to be a ninja to prove myself."

"Nya, you seem more than a little stressed. What's going on, you promised you'd tell me if you needed me" I stated.

"I don't... I know I'm a skilled fighter and I'm more than happy to be part of team. A part of me was always a little envious of how close you four had gotten, and I kinda had wished I had my own team of samurai girls to back me up and develop that kind of relationship" Nya sighed, "but even though now I'm part the team, I still feel like I'm far your level. I know how to be a samurai, it was easy for me. But being a ninja, a kunoichi? It just feels like I have to live up to the expectations everyone has of me. And I don't know if I am good enough to do that."

I shifted backwards and cupped her face as I looked into the deep chocolate and vibrant blueberry of her eyes, "Nya I've seen you fightwith and without your Samurai Mech. While you are strong as the samurai, I stand by what I said on our date. Nothing beats good, old-fashioned feet and fist. You have the speed and grace of your brother. Your attacks are dangerous and beautiful. Even without throwing spinjitzu or elemental powers in the mix, the serpentine have never stood a chance against you. And you heard what Hisayo said, we may find more elementals. So you many not our only kunoichi."

"I think I'm worried because I know we'll find more elementals" she said.

"What?!" I exclaimed.

"Jay, based on my personality, which animal symbol do you think would represent me?" Nya questioned.

I was confused but I answered anyway, "I feel like a panther. Yeah, you'd be a panther."

"Yeah, a silver panther apparently" Nya sighed, "I had a dream a few nights ago. It didn't feel like a dream and I'm starting to think it wasn't one. It was confusing, and at first I thought I had just eaten something off. I saw a man in my dream, and I have a feeling that I didn't imagine him. It took me awhile, but I think I know who he was."

"Who?" I asked.

"Thanatos" she answered.

That name sent a shiver down my spine, "you think something bad is going to happen?"

"I know something bad if going to happen. I felt how powerful he was, Jay" a few tears fell from her eyes, "he's psychotic, powerful and cruel. I-I felt... I felt him rip my heart out of my chest, and I knew he enjoyed doing it, even if it wasn't real. He called me the silver panther, and started talking about everyone else as their animals. It was... I tried to brush it off, I even talk to Hisayo about but since unlocking my elemental powers I realized it wasn't just a bad dream."

I wiped away a few tears, "it was just a dream. In real life, if he came close to you he'd be on fire with enough electricity flowing through him to turn him into a pile of dust. I'd never let anything happen to you. No one on this ship would. I swear it Nya, I love you. I love you so much I'd do whatever I needed to protect you and make you happy. I would happily sacrifice myself for you. I love you, Nya Ninomiya. Since the day we first met, I've loved you. I fall deeper every moment we spend together and I want a future with you, no matter what it might bring."

Nya looked at me blankly and I felt my face heat up. At least she stopped crying, but I had probably made a fool of myself in the process. I sighed and closed my eyes. I couldn't believe I embarrassed myself like that. But I meant every word of what I said. Nothing would change that, I just had to pray that Nya wouldn't dump me for not being about to shut up.

I was surprised went I felt a soft kiss on my cheek.

I opened my eyes and Nya looked at me, a smile graced her features, "how did I manage to get so lucky. Jay Walker, you're the bravest man I've ever met. I almost wish I could be more like you, yet at the same time you make me feel so special and beautiful that I don't want to change. I should've talked to you sooner, I feel much better now. Thank you."

"That's great. And honestly, I wouldn't mind having more kunoichi on the ship" I stated, "in fact I really hope we get more."

"And why is that, lightning boy?" Nya teased without a hint of jealously.

"First, women are the most dangerous assassins" I winked, "and second, we could get one of them to seduce your brother and keep him distracted."

Nya laughed loudly before she pressed her lips against mine.

* * *

 **A/N: Oh my god guys it's jaya. I did some jaya.**

 **Anyway, I would like to point out somethings. The first, Dante won't be as major of a character as you think. He'll be around the ninja a lot, more after _Play with Fire_ , but he won't be here for much the first arc of the series plot. Why? I have my reasons. Since I'm adding more of my old ideas back into the story, I decided to add in Dante and another character back into it (although we won't be seeing her for a long time). This should be fun, their contributions were really good plot points and I can't wait for the other character to be introduced. **

**Also, a little bit of fun for you guys. We get to see the new ninja gi next chapter! I really like these new designs, they're more badass than the other ones I came up with. Not to mention I feel they fit the ninja a lot better. So I hope you all like the new gi. I really hope they get drawn up, they look so cool (or at least, how I imagine them looks cool, I don't know about my descriptions).**

 **T** **hank you for your kind reviews (seriously, I love you guys). Constructive criticism is encouraged.**

 **See you next chapter, victims~**


	7. Chapter 7

[Jay]

I had thrown myself to the left. I just narrowly missed a well-aimed punch directed at my face, and countered the attack with a low-spinning heel kick. But Nya dodged the attack easily with a backwards jump before she summoned her element and launched her body into the air. I followed up, until the sun caused me to lose sight of her. When I realized I didn't know where she was, I rolled forward instantly. I just dodged a kick, one strengthened by her manipulation of air. I shot her a lazy grin when I rose to my feat, though I knew she couldn't see it underneath my new mask.

If I had to go on about new, my new ninja gi was awesome! When I received the outfit, I had try it on instantly and I was surprised at how intimidating I managed to look in the mirror. It stuck to the deep royal blue of my other ninja gi, but that was really one of the only few similarities. The lower half of my face was covered by a half-mask that resembled the mouth of a monster, while my hair and a portion of my forehead was covered by a hoodie-hood. My torso was covered, my right arm was completely exposed (except my shoulder) while my left arm was completely covered. Both hand were covered by thick black gloves, while blue pants covered my legs. A tribal, silver thunderbird was on the left pant leg. Like I said, awesome.

Nya's new ninja outfit made it hardtop concentrate and my focus in battle suffered because of it. A stunning silver, her ninja garb also came with a hood and a monster half-mask. The shirt completely covered her torso (not even a tiny bit of breast was visible, much to Kai's relief) the sash around the centre hugged her body tightly. The shirt was long enough to reach her mid-thighs, but two large slits on either side allowed free movement besides that. Her arms were covered by three-quarter sleeves, while her hands were also protected by black gloves. Her legs were hidden by silver knee-length shorts and silver tabi. On the left side of her chest, above the sash, the rested a royal blue, tribal, phoenix.

The others got their ninja gi too. Kai always showed an intense glare in battle, that alone had been enough to intimidate it's opponents sometimes, so the monstrous mask and hood only made him look more terrifying than he usually was. He looked like a predator, one that craved a battle. The garb was a rich red, sleeveless, with a red sash tied on his waist. His hands where well protected by black gloves, his legs covered in red pants with tabi to match. Just like his younger sister, a tribal firebird rested on his chest. This one was purple, and on the right.

Our leader of earth, with his new attire and deadly scythe, could almost be confused for the grim reaper. Same monster half-mask and hood, his in black, his arms seemed to covered in a jacket that danced in the wind whenever he walked. Hisayo was a genius for using the right material and shape to allow Cole to move properly with it on, it made him look like he stole the outfit from Assassin's Creed. A tribal basilisk was coiled near the bottom of the jacket, it was done in orange. His hands were covered by the same gloves, and he hand pants along with tabi, just like the rest of us.

Zane, on the other hand, looked way to cool in his garb (yeah, that pun was intended). Even with the same half-mask and hood, he still looked more refined than everyone else. His chest was covered by a pure white shirt, held together with a matching sash. His arms were fully covered by sleeves, with thick black gloves protecting his hands. White pants covered his legs. On his back, in bronze, a tribal amarok could be seen. Like I said; cool, refined and ready to kick ass.

Lost in my thoughts, Nya had decided to take advantage of my distracted state. She knocked my down with a swift kick to my chest, and she rested her foot lightly on my chest at her victory. The sun caused a halo-like glow due to her positioning, and I smiled underneath my mask. Nya was a great fighter and it was moments like these that really made getting my butt kicked worth it. It was hard to believe that Nya had only been a ninja for a few days, it felt like she had been part of our team forever.

"Looks like I win this round, Jay" Nya offered a hand.

I gladly took it, "this time maybe, but who knows what the next fight will be like."

"Unfortunately you won't get to be beaten up again, Jay" Hisayo interrupted "we're going shopping for a supply run. The Bounty is still damaged from our last encounter with the serpentine, and we need more food and furniture. That was the whole point at stopping at Ninjago City."

"Oh, there is something really important we have to get" I exclaimed.

"Jay, we've been over this and it's not important" Nya said.

"What's going on?" Hisayo asked.

Kai sighed, "Jay being Jay."

"What are the three things you need to be a ninja?" I queried.

"Not this speech again" Cole groaned.

"This first is elemental powers. The second, and most obvious one, is a ninja gi" I clarified "but the third, and most important, is stripped pajamas. Nya, we all have matching stripped pajamas and if you want to be taken seriously as a ninja you need to have your own."

"This is why no other ninja clan in Ninjago takes us seriously" Kai remarked.

"I don't need stripped pajamas, Jay" Nya stated.

Hisayo smiled, "how about we go to the store and if we see and stripped PJs then you can argue about whether to buy it or not as much as you like, okay?"

* * *

It was a long day and I still hadn't found any shops that sold the specific item I needed to get Nya. For some reason, everyone else seemed relieved by this. We carried around bags of equipment, everything we needed to get the Destiny's Bounty back to what it used to be. As well as some extra food, furniture, and equipment for a new security system to ensure nothing like that ever happens again. Meanwhile, Dante tried to buy a bike. Apparently, even though he'd be spending a lot of time with us, he wasn't going to be living with us permanently, and wanted to just drive whenever he need to get to us. Nya and I offered to build something for him instead, and he took that option.

"Mom? Dante?!"

The two whose names where called turned around. Hisayo was tackled by a short kid in a green hoodie, who wrapped his arms around her. I almost mistook them for a girl, the kids hair was incredibly long. Not to mention dirty, and he smelt like he hadn't had a shower in a long time. When the boy looked up and revealed his ruby eyes, I realized it had been Lloyd Garmadon. The kid looked completely different without the bowl cut. I wasn't the only one who had been surprised, according to the looks I had caught on everyone else's faces.

"Lloyd?! Are you okay? I've been worried sick since I found out you were missing" Hisayo asked.

"How did you get away from the serpentine?" Dante added.

"I didn't escape I was rescued" Lloyd stated, "Shen saved me. And I'm fine mom, just a little uncomfortable right now. I was about to get a hair cut."

"Who's Shen? Are we supposed to know that?" I asked.

 ** _'I apologize for not being able to greet you all in person, I am currently hidden. I have noticed that most humans don't react well to dragons, so I decided to grant Lloyd some money and instruct him in what to do from a distance.'_**

I jumped and Kai beat me to my question, "everyone else heard that too right?"

"That was Shen. He's a huge, green dragon. Apparently he can only communicate telepathically, because dragons only speak draconic because of the different shape of their mouths. He also thinks I'm the green ninja and needs to be protected so I can defeat somebody" Lloyd shrugged.

I felt my jaw drop. I was shocked, and ended up staring at Lloyd. It appeared everyone was doing the same thing, so I don't think it mattered. What he had said was huge. Lloyd Garmadon, son of the most evilest villain in Ninjago, the one who unleashed the serpentine, the kid constantly getting into trouble, was meant to be the greatest hero Ninjago had ever seen. This boy was meant to master eight elements, as well as his own element, aether. He wasn't even a teenager, he was a ten year old with limited fighting experience and incredibly bad luck.

"I know what we're all thinking. We'll discuss this later. Right now, I'm trusting all of you with the shopping while I take Lloyd to get his hair cut and washed" Hisayo stated.

* * *

[Nya]

"I can't believe you had actually convinced me to buy the pajamas" I groaned.

Lloyd rolled his eyes, "I can't believe you bought me one without asking. I don't need any stupid PJs."

"It's important for team unity" Jay insisted.

We had finally finished our supply run and we we're now in our nightwear. Our matching nightwear thanks to Jay. I sighed, damn those puppy eyes were hard to resist sometimes. Also, I found it kinda cute how passionate he got over them, he was just so adorable. Besides, the pajamas were really comfortable and soft, so I didn't mind too much. In fact I could almost see why he argued for us to get them, they were pretty cool.

Everyone but Kai was seated in the dining room. Shen flew around the ship as he didn't need to eat as often as us humans do. His dragon form was quite a sight, he looked stunning with the mint green scales and bright golden eyes. I couldn't wait to see what my dragon, Zephyr, was like. I heard he was really smart and kind and had the most amazing silver scales, with the long body that Asian dragon possessed. Kai had offered to cook for everyone tonight. I knew why though, he wanted to stay away from Jay's 'bickering' about the sleepwear. I found it funny how what everyone sees as faults in Jay I see as cute. Sure he could be immature sometimes, but I loved his sense of humor and sometimes his ramblings were adorable. And the way he acted when he was passionate about something was charming.

Especially when it came to inventing. The way his eyebrows creased when he was really thinking. The unconscious licking of lips every so often. The look in his blue eyes as his pupils dilated. That's when he starts making his hands fly across the paper. His breathing hitches and he swallows hard. It was always hypnotic watching him work.

His new uniform made it even harder to keep my mind under control and away from all dirty thoughts. The tight top of his gi allowing me to make out some muscle while one of his arms were completely exposed. Sensei Wu only let them remove their shirts during training if the temperature had risen to serious levels, and on those days I stayed inside in the air conditioned ship. I had never seen that much of Jay before and it was seriously attractive. He may not have been the most muscular guy on this ship. In fact, other than Lloyd and Dante, he probably was the least muscular. But the chestnut locks and rich blue eyes were stunning, and his blue uniform only highlighted every great physical aspect he had.

"Hey Nya, you alright? Your face is kinda red" Jay asked.

"I'm fine. Just a little hot I guess" I looked for a distraction, "Hey Zane, could you check on Kai and see if he needs some help with dinner."

Zane nodded and left, while I took a sip of water. I looked at Jay out of the corner of my eye. He was still determined and tried to convince Lloyd of the importance of the pajamas. Lloyd's hair cut was different from his regular bowl cut and actually kinda suited him better than it two. Hisayo almost burst into tears, apparently it made Lloyd look too much like his father. I felt a bit of sympathy towards Lloyd and his father. Lord Garmadon may not be the dark lord the prophecy was talking about but he was still a threat to Ninjago and they'd still had to fight each other. At least the two siblings and their mother were close, it would be tragic if that weren't the case.

"So Nya, after dinner do you want to go over some blueprints with me?" Jay asked "I have some ideas on items that would make it a whole lot easier for us to communicate while on missions."

I smiled, "I'd be more than happy to."

Kai and Zane walked in carrying what looked like a chicken-macaroni casserole. My stomach growled in anticipation. Kai learnt how to cook at a young age, he insisted that our father taught him ever since mom passed on. He wanted to help out as much as he could. I learnt how to cook from Kai, so my cooking skills weren't as good as his, but they were definitely past average. Though I wasn't complaining, I'd never complain about eating anything Kai or Zane cooked. And some of Jay's meals were amazing too.

"Why is it that I'm the only one that people complain about whenever I want to cook?" Cole asked.

Lloyd shrugged, "you're cooking sucks. Deal with it."

I pressed my hand to my mouth as I tried to hold back my laughter from that remark. Jay and Kai burst out laughing, not even bothering to hide it. Then Jay proceeded to tell Lloyd of the time Cole had made duck chowder. I groaned at the thought of that dish, I don't think I'll ever look at chowder the same way again. Lloyd appeared to be taking advantage of the fact we all had to protect him. Cole just placed his head in his hands and sighed, loudly.

"Damn, Lloyd got him good" Jay snickered to me after he was done, "are we sure his element isn't sass?"

I laughed, "well he is the master of all elements. So anyway, what do you need help with?"

"Well, you know those ear pieces that we use to communicate?" Jay started "I was thinking about upgrading. We need to make more for the new teammates but I want to add in extra features as well. Like being able to choose to talk to only one person rather than having everyone listen in on your conversation. Or one where if it's broken or you press a certain button it'll send your location to the Bounty's computer se we can track you."

"That's a great idea and would seriously help out if any of us are in a tight spot. You're a genius Jay" I said.

"Thanks, but let's finish our dinner first. Then we can discuss possible modifications" he smiled.

I kissed his cheek, "after dinner then."

* * *

 **A/N: Surprise, Lloyd is the green ninja. I bet you all saw that coming.**

 **Not much changed this chapter. I'm happy with it. And see, as I said, Dante won't be living with the ninja full time. I guess you could say Dante is a part-timer. Ha? No? Okay, I'll just sit over here in the 'corner of lame jokes' with Jay. I hope you guys all enjoyed this chapter.**

 **T** **hank you for your kind reviews (seriously, I love you guys). Constructive criticism is encouraged.**

 **See you next chapter, victims~**


	8. Chapter 8

[Nya]

I yawned while I flipped the egg over in the frying pan. One of Jay's arms were wrapped lazily around my waist while the other checked the bacon nearby and I felt his chin gently on my shoulder. We had decided to cook breakfast, even though we barely got any sleep the previous night. We went a little overboard with the inventing and went to bed only few hours ago.

It was worth it though, we now had twelve ear pieces. We had them all upgraded too. Not only can you choose whether or not you only want to speak with one person, a specific group or everyone with an ear piece, but we added in a few extra things as well. All of them were connected to the Bounty and if someone wanted to know where someone was all they'd have to do is type in their element and you'd be able to track them with the Bounty's computer. If broken, a distress signal was sent out and alerted everyone, including the Bounty. Also, if you pressed a certain button and tossed it at an enemy it would function as a mini bomb. Though we linked that part to elemental awareness as well, so you couldn't accidently push it and blow yourself up.

Jay yawned this time and pulled me closer into his embrace. I smiled and relaxed against him further. This was nice, I needed to spend more time alone with Jay without anything like training or inventing distracting us. I just want a nice date with him, the two of us alone in each other's company. Maybe later I could ask him about going on another date, the Serpentine have been quiet for a while and it would be a crime not to waste this opportunity.

"Oh, hey" Cole walked in "looks like breakfast is taken care of."

I smiled, "yeah, could you do us a favor and set the table?"

"Sure, that smells really good" he replied.

"You know" Jay said as soon as Cole left "we should ask Hisayo if we could have the day off."

"Yeah, but we have to remain vigilant. The serpentine may be quiet now, but they could be planning a really nasty surprise. And then there is the whole thing with Thanatos. From what we've learned from Hisayo and Dante, it doesn't sound so good. " I reminded.

"The serpentine think we're dead, they're probably just taking their time because they don't feel rushed" Jay pointed out "and we've already proven that Thanatos can't do much. Remember what you said about your dream? You said he mentioned that he only talked to you because you weren't hidden and you didn't have elemental powers. He's way too weak to be that much of a threat."

I rolled my eyes, "even if that was true, that still isn't a reasonable excuse to get out of training. Especially after getting out of it yesterday."

Jay pressed kiss to my cheek before he served the bacon and eggs onto separate plates. Before I could pick them up to take them out, Jay twisted me around and pressed his lips against mine. I was stunned, I titled my head to the side and wrapped my arms around his neck. I kissed back with equal passion, my tongue dancing with his. A could taste something incredibly sweet. When we pulled back, a light blush stained his cheeks. I was sure my cheeks were just as red. I smiled, picked up the plates along with Jay and we served everyone their breakfast. Hisayo and Zane were the politest out of everyone. Kai sent a suspecting look at Jay before accepting his meal. Lloyd, surprisingly, did manage a 'thank you' before stuffing his face while Cole just grinned and took his plate, a similar reaction from Dante.

"So, what's the plan for today?" Jay asked.

"We're training Lloyd" Cole stated "even though Nya is still technically new to the team, she's had training. All she really need is team building exercises, Spinjitzu practice and elemental practice. Lloyd needs more than that, plus he's the green ninja and our main priority while we're searching of the other elementals."

"I get to train? That's awesome!" Lloyd exclaimed.

Cole nodded, "you'll be spending most of the day working on your speed and stamina. We'll also start teaching you the basics of aikido."

"That sounds boring. And I already know aikido, my dad taught me through his shadows" Lloyd stated.

"Fine, but Cole has a point Lloyd" Kai said "if something bad happens, you need to get as far away from the scene as possible. Not only are you too young but your destiny is to important. When we've decided that you're mature enough we'll let you fight but right now, training only."

"Yeah but wouldn't it be better to teach me to fight sooner so that I could defend myself and you wouldn't have to look out for me?" Lloyd remarked.

Cole leaned forward, "You'll be working on your speed, stamina and some basics of jujitsu."

"And once you have mastered jujitsu" Kai answered "then we'll discuss the possibility of you learning judo, karate, tai chi chuan, kung fu, tae kwon do or kali. That sounds good to you?"

"Yeah, yeah, but when can I join missions? And isn't tea kwon do only useful if you're attacked with sticks?" Lloyd asked.

"Not yet, young one" Hisayo commented "how about we go and see how the green ninja gi fits."

"And by the way, tae kwon do is an amazing martial art. It's stupid to think that Lloyd, all martial arts have their uses and disrespecting one is pretty narrow-minded. You better remember this when a tae kwon do master kicks your but in the future" Dante called.

As Lloyd walked down the hallway with Hisayo, I heard a muffled whisper that had caused Hisayo to laugh. Dante just blushed at the look he received from the two, which probably meant there was joke I had missed there. I smiled at them, I was glad that they were together again. But I felt a slight pang in my chest, if my mother somehow came back from the dead I probably wouldn't even recognize her on my own. I was glad it was different for Lloyd. Hisayo really cared about her kids, and it was good to see them together again. Cole took the plates to wash them and the rest of us headed outside to train after we spun into our uniforms.

I couldn't wait to meet the other elemental ninja. I was curious as to what their gi would look like. I also hoped there would be more girls on the team. Sure, I loved they guys and everything but I really missed being to have good, old-fashioned girl talk. It would be really nice to have at least one female friend, not to mention I was really considering the whole setting her up with Kai thing. Either way, more teammates would be really useful and a big help in stopping both the serpentine and Thanatos.

We all headed outside onto the deck. I spun into my gi, prepared for training with the boys. Dante had joined us, though he sat with his legs crossed on the upper deck. He mostly just watched, and I could understand why. I used to really like watching the boys train, it wasn't just attractive, it had proven to be very amusing at certain times. Especially when one of them had done something that earned the wrath of Sensei Wu. Dante rarely trained with us, surprisingly, he wasn't much of a fighter and tried to avoid violence as much as possible. Which really only raised questions about why he carried around that large double-bladed scythe.

Speaking of weapons, I recently had chosen my own weapon. A beautiful kikuchi yari. The design was fairly basic, the blade of the yari was nice and sharp. Though the kikuchi yari was one of the rarer designs, this variation was great for hacking at things, and with the nice length of the weapon I could use it to manipulate the air. Though, just as soon as I had placed my hand on my weapon alarms went off inside the Destiny's Bounty, which caused a loud groan from the boys.

"Seriously, again?! Why are the serpentine attacking now?! Couldn't they have done this later?!" Jay complained.

"Remember, they thought we died. We'll have the advantage of surprise over them, they won't be expecting us. Which also means that they won't even try to hide from us this time, they'll be out in the open" Cole stated.

"Okay, that's great but how are we going to get there?" Jay asked, "may I remind you that our weapons have stopped taking passengers!"

"Are you done?" I questioned.

Jay sighed, "yes."

"Good. And I'm sure we'll figure something out. After all, you guys didn't always have magical vehicle weapons and I managed to fight off the serpentine without them" I replied.

 _ **'I may be of assistance'**_

A loud roar gained my attention. I looked upwards, along with all of the boys, just as a long silver dragon descended from the sky. I grinned as the dragon landed, the air shifted around it and pushed against us. I would've fallen over but the air simple moved around me. I couldn't say the same for the boys they, they were pushed back a bit but managed to stay on their feet alright.

"So Zephyr, mind giving us a lift to the where the serpentine are?" I asked.

 ** _'It would be my pleasure, ma'am.'_**

"Alright, let's go and fight some snakes!"

* * *

Zephyr had dropped us off near the edge of a forest and given us the direction to travel to reach the serpentine. We jumped across from tree to tree, a method I had seen the boys use to travel swiftly and stealthily at the same time. I never realized how much fun it was, when I leapt through the branches, it almost felt like flying. I loved the feeling. Jay stayed close beside me, though I knew that even on the ground, with the challenge of winding his way through roots and tree trunks, he was faster than me. I've watched as he outraced motorbikes and cars for fun. Though his stamina wasn't the best (in fact it was probably the worst out of the boys) he moved as fast as his element.

I followed Cole's example and jumped to the ground. He signaled for Jay and I to move around to the left, while he had sent Zane over to the right. I nodded and moved with Jay, then waited for the signal to attack. Kai looked over at me, and I tried to signal that I was fine. I knew he'd be overprotective, this was my first mission with the ninja as an official member myself. When we were ready Cole made the move and everybody jumped out at the serpentine, weapons raised and ready.

"Stop right there!" Kai said.

"Seriously?" Cole mumbled.

Kai glared, "Sorry, but maybe you're the one who needs to work on his speed."

"You guys can not be serious" I groaned.

"You pathetic ninja, I had thought I had gotten rid of you. Everyone, let's give our undead friends our undivided attention. Attack them!" Pythor yelled.

Everything happened all at once. A few Venomari surrounded me. I pulled spun my yari, which blocked a few blades and well as cut a few of the serpentine that has gotten too close. I quickly sliced through the scaled flesh of a Hypnobrai, followed by a quick stab to another foe. I flicked their disgusting green blood off of my weapon and did a quick scan of my surroundings. Kai and Zane had stood back-to-back surrounded by Constrictai and Fangpyre. Cole fought off a large group by himself. Jay had managed to get a good distance away from me and fought off a bunch of Hypnobrai and Venomari.

I attempted to move towards him but more serpentine moved in front of me. I quickly sliced and diced my way through them and spotted the others using Spinjitzu. I groaned and knocked another snake of it's feet with my weapon. I hadn't learnt Spinjitzu yet! I looked over at Jay, for some reason he slowly moved through the same actions over and over again. I quickly realized he went through the motions of the training course. He increased his speed until he was spinning in an electric blue tornado. I grinned at him before forming my own silver Spinjitzu tornado.

It would've been easier if they had told me about it before we had arrived, but sometime you just have to roll with the punches.

When I stopped, I used my yari like a staff to aid my elemental powers and created a large gust of wind that knocked a few of our enemies down. A bright lightning bolt shot right past my head and through a Fangpyre that had prepared to throw a spear at me. I rolled my eyes, sent a wink at the sapphire clad ninja, and continued fighting against the serpentine. Eventually, we had all gather back-to-back, surrounded by the overgrown reptiles. I felt confident though, I knew we wouldn't loose this battle.

"Uh, guys" Kai said "not to alarm anyone but where is Pythor and the other generals?"

Cole groaned, "doing the important stuff. These guys are just the distractions."

"Oh great, who knows what Pythor and his tongue-flicking entourage are getting up too" Jay added.

"We have to find them and stop them!" I stated.

"It's too late, ninja!"

We all looked up, to see Pythor and the other generals surrounded by body guards. Some of their soldiers carried large, dark crystal-like rocks I didn't recognise, way too large to be a possibly fossilized fangblade. Whatever they had collected, I didn't think they'd be putting it too good use anytime soon. Pythor signalled for them to leave and they he crawled down a hole, the other generals not too far behind them.

"Next time you won't be so lucky, ninja" Pythor hissed.

Before anyone had managed to come back with a retort, Pythor slithered out of sight and left us to deal with his army. I practically felt my brother's anger as he created a wall of fire in front of himself. I summoned my own element and fought alongside Jay, as we combined our powers. Which resulted in blades of wind laced with electricity. It didn't take too long to defeat the small group and we tried to track down the rest but we had no luck. As soon as we had arrived home, Zane sent the falcon out to investigate and locate the Serpentine while Jay and I had set the Bounty's computers to try and figure out what Pythor stole and what could he want with it.

So far, nothing had come up.

* * *

 **A/N: Second last chapter, yay~**

 **I changed Nya's weapons? Why? I always wanted a character with a yari, and since _Avatar: The Last Airbender_ had an air elemental with a staff, I decided to apply the same rules here. Besides, as cute as Nya's weapons were, I felt Harmony was a little left out since the rest of the kunoichi (kunoichi, not samurai) had two, small-ish weapons, while he had one, long battle-axe. Now it's a bit fairer. **

**T** **hank you for your kind reviews (seriously, I love you guys). Constructive criticism is encouraged.**

 **See you next chapter, victims~**


	9. Chapter 9

[Jay]

"So nothing has come up?" Nya asked.

I shook my head, "not yet. They probably didn't take anything that important. Probably just some materials to make better armour and stuff. It'll be pointless, though, because we got the best samurai-slash-kunoichi ever on our side. They hardly stand a chance, no matter what stupid plan they're hatching. Wait, would serpentine lay eggs? Because the a mixture of humans and snakes, and I'm pretty sure snakes lay eggs. I know humans don't, but are they more human than snake, or more snake than human?"

Nya laughed at that and I had to join in. How could I not? Her laughter was so beautiful. The Bounty's computers hadn't found what the Serpentine had stolen and the falcon struggled to locate them as well. I didn't think it really mattered though. We were getting stronger every day and the soon the Serpentine wouldn't stand a chance against us when the team is complete. Plus if they had stolen something dangerous we would've known, the Bounty's computers came up with nothing valuable or useful in Serene Forest. It merely lived up to it's name for the most part.

We rested in Nya's room, relaxed on her bed with her beside me. Her room had changed since I was last in there. Her bed was covered in silver sheets; sliver curtains hide her windows. Her weapons were now on display instead of hidden out of sight, that included her knew yari. She still kept her old changing screen, but she had moved her dresser behind it, obviously for easy access to clothes for when she needed to change while someone else was in the room.

The biggest change that drew my attention was her bedside table. Three photo frames rested next to her bed. The first was of her and her brother, with an older man who resembled Nya mostly, there were only a few features did Kai and him share. The second had been a group photo, all of us together as a family. The last of was from our date at Mega Monster Amusement Park. Nya smiled, slightly blushing in that picture and my arm was around her waist as I smiled at the camera. That brought back so many memories.

 _Nya, I want more moments like that. Just moments where it's us, happy and in love._

"I wish there was more we could do right now" she continued.

"We have to be patient" I said "besides, you've heard what Shen and Zephyr have said. Pretty soon the other dragons will be back. Wisp, or Damini, and the others and we'll be really strong when that happens. Plus, Hisayo and Dante are trying to figure out ways to track down other elemental ninja. So soon we'll be bust taking care of that too."

She kissed my cheek, "still, I feel like there's something I'm missing. Something important that I've forgotten but I just don't know."

"Don't stress, it won't help anyone and will only cause more issues. Any problems that occur we'll face them together, because I ain't leaving your side." I reassured.

"Fine" she replied with a smile"but if you do something stupid, I'll charge you for it."

"Charge me?" I asked.

She grinned, "yep. I only accept kisses."

"I'll do my best to behave than" I winked.

I wrapped my arms around her tightly and she snuggled into my chest a bit more. It was nice having this small amount of contact. I was glad that we didn't need to be physical to express our feelings, we were happy just laying here and talking about anything and everything. I may have been a man, but I didn't want sex. Yet, anyway. We just weren't ready for that step yet, and I would be more than happy to for when we were. The world could be burning and I wouldn't care because of the beautiful Chinese princess that rested beside me.

"Hey Nya" I started "you really should make Ba Gua Zhang your main fighting style."

"I'm not an airbender, you nerd"

I raised an eyebrow, "nerd?"

"Yes" she smirked, "but you're the cutest nerd I've ever met so don't worry."

"You know, Kai reacted the same way when I suggested that he made northern Shaolin Kung fu his main fighting style" I said.

She laughed, "I'm surprised he didn't beat you up!"

We both laughed loudly again and I pressed a small kiss to her cheek. I was glad that she at least got the reference and I didn't sound too much of a geek for her. That was another thing that made Nya special, it seemed like she found all my jokes funny. I knew I was a funny guy, the others laughed at my jokes as well. But more often than not my brothers would express annoyance at my sense of humor. Nya never seemed to grow tired of it. Her eyes lit up and she graced the world with that pretty smile. It was no wonder that I fell for her. Our souls just clicked.

When we finally calmed down, Nya looked at me with a serious face.

"Jay what do you think our future holds?"

"That question kinda depends on what ya mean. I think our team is gonna be great and our new members will be amazing people. I think we'll change the world, whether it's a good change or a bad change is up to us" I started, "but in _our_ future. I think that I do want to spend the rest of my life with you, Nya. I think that we'll be very happy together, no matter what our future has in store."

Nya smiled, "then I guess we'll have to wait."

"I don't mind" I replied.

"Also, I didn't completely like that answer. Not enough detail so I think I'm going to have to charge you for–mph!"

* * *

 **A/N: Last chapter! Sorry it's so short please don't hate me.**

 **Anyway, I hope you're all excited. The first book is probably the one that will have the most changes (I hope, at least) while _Playing with Fire_ should have the least (I can guarantee that, since it's not finished). So hopefully you'll all be excited when I post up the edited version of _Just an Illusion_. Either way, I think this will be fun. **

**I'm officially back everyone^^**

 **T** **hank you for your kind reviews (seriously, I love you guys). Constructive criticism is encouraged.**

 **See you next fic, victims~**


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